Okpebholo to Obaseki: I’ll probe you

Obaseki

GOVERNOR Monday Okpebholo, his deputy, Hon Dennis Idahosa, government officials, party leaders, and thousands of their supporters on Friday marched through the streets of Benin City celebrating the affirmation of Okpebholo’s 2024 governorship election victory by the Supreme Court.

Addressing the crowd at the Government House after the victory parade, Governor Okpebholo said it was time to work and promised that in the next two years, Edo people would know that they have a Governor. He also declared that he would set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s records

He noted that the Obaseki-led administration used consultants to run the affairs of the state. He said while going through the records of EdoGIS, he discovered that a consultant was hired and paid N6 billion and another N2 billion for “ordinary software.” According to him, “I directed the training of our own people who are now handling the job. We have sent the consultant away from the State, saving money to develop Edo State.

“Our civil servants are well-trained. We have the best brains in the State, but Godwin Obaseki used consultants instead of utilising the human resources in the State. We are saving money today as a Government because we are using the civil servants to do the jobs consultants were formerly doing.

“We are just about eight months in office, but by the time we are two years in office, Edo people will know they have a Governor who is ready to work for the interest of the people.

“I will open the books to check the financial dealings and how Obaseki governed Edo State in the last eight years. A university in this state received N47 million under Obaseki’s administration, while he paid a consultant N51 million. This was not good enough. They wanted to continue with this act, but God helped us to push them out.

“Since I came into office, I have not sacked anybody but rather continued with the civil servants I met in the office. The Head of Service during Obaseki’s administration is still working with me. So also a lot of Permanent Secretaries in the civil service. Edo was tired of transactional people but now we will look into their records. We will set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the books and dealings of the previous administration. We will open an interrogation to check their records. They have finished fighting us, and now I am ready to fight back and ensure that all those that cheated Edo people in the last eight years are all brought to book”. On his part, Idahosa said it was time to be focused and work for Edo people.